Joseph lamb



J. LAMB.

Sled.

Patnted Feb 14. 1860'.

)LPET Rs, FHOTO-LITNDGRQFNER, WASHINGTON, D, c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH LAMB, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND RICHARD LAMB,OF SAME PLACE.

PORTABLE SLED.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 27,189, dated February 14, 1860.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrrr LAMB, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sleds,lVhereby They Are Rendered More Portable and Convenient; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part ofthis specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a convenient sled or chair onwhich ladies and others may slide upon the ice or snow, and which whenthe ourney or the pastime is over, may be readily reduced to a compactform for transportation or storage, and which may readily be againexpanded into a condition for use.

The nature of my invention consists in the production of a folding sledcomposed of parts so hinged together, as explained below, that it mayinstantly be made to assume at pleasure the character of a strong andwell braced sled or of a compact mass of materials convenient fortransportation or storage; also in so combining, arranging and hingingtogether a pair of grooved braces, a pair of cross braces and a pair ofsuitable runners that the sled when folded occupies a thickness equal tothat of the braces themselves; also in connection with the above in soarranging and hinging a frame thereto, as to form a rest or support forthe back of the rider, and to fold into the plane of the braces andrunners when so desired; also in the use, in a folding sled of thecharacter herein indicated, of a hinged or flexible foot rest, soarranged and suspended as to support the foot properly, allowing it toswing forward to any extent desired when in use without sensiblyincreasing the dimensions of the structure when folded.

In many situations where skating and sliding upon the ice is a favoritepastime with both ladies and gentlemen some form of sled is oftenrequired upon which those who can not skate may slide, but where theskating fields are at a distance, the usual forms are quite too clumsyand inconvenient of transportation for the purpose. In such places mynew sled is peculiarly ap )licable, combining lightness and strengtiwith compactness and convenience in a very perfect manner.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to describe its construct-ion and operation by the aid of thedrawings, in which Figure 1, is a perspective view of the sled whenunfolded and ready for use. Fig. 1 is a section on the line S, S, inFig. 1. Fig. 2 is a view of the same when partially folded up, and Fig.3 is a perspective view of the sled when completely folded showing themanner in which the braces and runners arrange themselves one within theother when in this condition.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

R, R, are the runners hinged to the end of braces B, B, and each capableof folding into a groove in the edges of the corresponding brace B in amanner similar to the blade of a common pocket knife. The other ends ofthe runners R, R, are let into the ends of cross braces C, which arehinged to Bat c as represented; shoulders r on the runners prevent thebraces B and G from opening farther than is proper, while theconstruction allows them to approach nearer each other at pleasure. Thebraces C are of the same breadth as braces B, and are placed withinbraces B, so that when folded they lie in the same plane.

B and B are rigidly united by cross bars I, J, for the purpose ofkeeping them steady. C, C, are similarly united by the cross bars K, L,and these are so arranged and the braces G and B so notched, asrepresented, that neither interferes with the folding of B and G intothe same plane.

To the cross bars I and K, at the upper ends of braces B and C, I attachcloth or other flexible material G to form a seat; and to K I attachanother piece of cloth E, which is of proper length when looped up, asshown in Fig. 1, to form a stirrup for the feet. Stiffening pieces 6 eare fixed in the bottom of this stirrup to prevent the cloth doublingupon and inconnnoding the feet. This stirrup E may, if preferred, bemade of pieces of metal hinged to C, G, and can be suspended so low asto allow the feet to reach the ice. The stirrup may then be providedwit-h short runners and allowed to slide upon the ice at pleasureinstead of being constantly supported by the cross bar K.

Outside of braces B, B, and to their up per ends, I hinge two arms A, A,attached to each other at their extreme ends by a rod or bar a, andcapable of folding back outside of B, B, as shown in Fig. 3. Acrossthesearms A, A, I extend cloth or other suitable stuff, as represented, andthus form a back rest for the rider. The arms A, A, may be retained intheir proper position by pins 9 inserted through them int-o braces B, B,or by any other convenient means.

WVhen folded for transportation my sled assumes the form shown in Fig.3, all the braces lying side by side in the same plane. The cloth,leather, or the like, of the back and stirrup form a wrapper which mayenvelop the whole as represented, the extreme length and breadth of thepackage being the length and width of the back, and the extremethickness being equal to the width of one of the braces B.

When expanded and prepared for use, the several parts are so braced andsupported as to form a strong and stiff sled with a comfortable seat andback. It can, like any other sled, be pushed before the personpropelling it or may be dragged by a cord. It will be observed thatthere are no detached pieces to be lost or mislaid, the sled beingcomplete in itself whether folded or expanded. It Will also be observedthat with the exception of the means of supporting the back nofastenings of any character require to be secured on extending the sled,it being only necesssary to unfold the parts, by a slight pull and tosee that the extremities of C C are properly placed astride of therunners B. -On folding together no parts except the back-rest requireany delay to eflect their release.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. A folding sled as a new article of manufacture, the parts beinghinged together and capable of being instantly expanded into a rigidsled or folded in a small compass as herein set forth.

2. I claim in a folding sled the within described combination andarrangement of the grooved braces, B, cross braces, C, and runners, R,whereby the sled when folded occupies a thickness equal only to that ofthe braces, B or C, themselves.

3. I claim, in connection with the last, the within describedarrangement of the back frame, A, by which it is folded into the planeof the braces B, C, and runners R.

4. I claim, in a folding sled constructed substantially as hereindescribed, the employment of the flexible or hinged foot rest E soarranged and suspended as to secure the advantages above set forth.

J OS. LAMB.

Witnesses THOMAS D. Srn'rsoN, G. H. BABCOCK.

